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Jim McIsaac/Associated Press
If the NHL season is unable to resume following the coronavirus pandemic-related pause, New York Rangers fans may have to prepare themselves for the possibility that goaltender Henrik Lundqvist won’t be with the franchise when it returns to the ice.
The 38-year-old goalie, who has been the face of the franchise for the better part of the past decade, is a prime candidate for a buyout. According to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, the Rangers are likely to move forward with the tandem of Igor Shesterkin and Alex Georgiev in net.
While it’s hard to imagine King Henrik anywhere but New York, his numbers make it hard to justify keeping him for another season with a cap hit of $8.5 million, per Spotrac.
Lundqvist has seen a rather notable decline in recent years. His career averages of 2.43 goals against and a .918 save percentage have been inflated by a 3.16 GAA and .905 save percentage from his 30 contests in 2019-20.
After earning at least two shutouts per year for 13 seasons, Lundqvist has just one in the past two years.
Complicating matters further is the impending expansion draft, with the NHL adding a team in Seattle. Brooks has a theory on how the Rangers could remain compliant with draft rules even after buying out Lundqvist:
“The club will need to get a veteran goaltender under contract for 2021-22 to expose in the Seattle expansion draft. J-F Berube, who finished the AHL season with Hartford after the Rangers acquired the 28-year-old from Philadelphia leading up to the deadline, becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer. Management might want to consider signing the one-time Islanders third goalie to a two-year deal with substantial minor league pay.“
Continuing to look at upgrades for the Rangers, Brooks doesn’t believe the team will try to trade for Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
While he concedes the team needs to add a second-line center, Brooks thinks the club would rather hold on to its assets than risk over-paying for the 2011 No. 1 overall pick. Nugent-Hopkins is manufacturing at a top-six pace (22 goals, 39 assists, 61 points this season), but he’s still due $6 million next season and has only one year left on his contract before hitting free agency. What’s more, his numbers could be as a result of playing on the left wing of superstar center Conner McDavid’s line.
For a Rangers team looking to add long-term depth as it tries to remain competitive in the tightly contested Metropolitan Division, it may be hard to justify renting Nugent-Hopkins for a year.
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